Sauk Rapids man faces first degree felony drug charge

MELROSE — A Sauk Rapids man has been charged with a felony after a traffic stop turned into a drug bust Thursday afternoon, according to court documents.

At 4:22 p.m. a Minnesota State Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle for speeding in the township of Melrose. The trooper approached the driver, later identified as Chad Allen Kampa, 39, of Sauk Rapids, and the passenger in the vehicle.

The passenger of the vehicle initially provided the trooper with a fake name. She then admitted to providing an alias and identified herself as Sara Elizabeth Smith, 29, of Rockville. Smith stated she gave a false name because she has an outstanding warrant for her arrest.

As the trooper spoke with Kampa and Smith, he noticed both behaving nervously, and observed signs that Kampa may have been under the influence of a controlled substance. When Kampa exited the vehicle per the trooper's request, the trooper observed a rubber pipe in the driver's side door handle that the trooper determined to be used to smoke methamphetamine.

The trooper subsequently had his certified drug dog walk the exterior of the vehicle. The dog indicated that there were drugs within the vehicle, and a search by the trooper yielded four clear plastic bags in the glove box, each containing methamphetamine. A total of 65 grams of methamphetamine was found during the search.

The trooper also searched Smith's purse and located a pipe used to smoke marijuana. A safe was also located in the backseat of the car which contained two Tupperware containers, one of which contained two grams of methamphetamine.

Sara Elizabeth Smith, 29, of Rockville(Photo: Stearns County Jail)

Kampa and Smith were arrested and transported to Stearns County Jail, where they were both held on $200,000 bail.

Kampa has been charged with one felony-level count of aiding and abetting drugs in the first degree as well as one petty misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Smith is facing possible charges including felony-level aiding and abetting drugs in the first degree and giving a false name to police. She was also arrested on three outstanding warrants from Pope County, Benton County, and St. Cloud.

The maximum sentence for a felony-level first-degree aiding and abetting drugs conviction is 30 years in prison and/or a $1,000,000 fine.